Project:

The Effect of Southern Pine Beetles on Native Beetle Biodiversity

Students:

Ethan Perez, Arianna Polanco, Carina Cao, Sofia Alfenito

School:

Mount Sinai High School,

Mentors:

Allison Elfreth

Abstract:

The Southern Pine Beetle(SPB) or Dendroctonus frontalis is an invasive species that is native to the southeastern United States. The upward shift towards the northeast region of the United States can be attributed to the warmer, shorter winters that are associated with climate change. These warmer winters allow for the survival of the beetles during the winter and therefore more reproduction to occur. It also allows for a longer reproductive season to occur before hibernation. SPB can outcompete other beetle species through their aggressive nature and fast reproduction rate. We propose to collect various beetle species within a 1 square meter surrounding a pine tree infested by SPB and compare the amount of varying species in an area not infested by SPB. We hypothesize that the biodiversity of beetles will decrease in areas infested by SPB.

Poster:

Team samples: